Actor J.D. Williams, who played drug dealer Preston “Bodie” Broadus on HBO’s critically-acclaimed series The Wire, says he is often stopped by police who mistakenly recognize him as someone they’ve busted before.

Capital New York caught up with Williams on Sunday while he was protesting the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy in Manhattan.

“I’m from New Jersey but I’m in Manhattan almost every day auditioning when I’m working so there’s a very real possibility that I will always be stopped and frisked,” the actor said. “I’m from New Jersey and we don’t necessarily have this kind of policy, but we have similar racial profiling practices so, you know, a stand up here is a stand for anywhere else.”

Williams added the he “definitely” gets profiled because of his familiar face.

“You see, it’s a double-edged sword because I might get recognized, but they’re not sure where they know me from,” he explained. “So a lot of times, an officer might think that he’s arrested me before, but usually by the time that they walk up on me, it comes to them. They’re like, ‘Oh, I thought…’ So, it kind of gets me noticed because they’re not sure and by the time — a little time goes by and they finally realize who I am.”

About the Author

David Edwards has served as an editor at Raw Story since 2006. His work can also be found at Crooks & Liars, and he's also been published at The BRAD BLOG. He came to Raw Story after working as a network manager for the state of North Carolina and as as engineer developing enterprise resource planning software. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidEdwards.